Thanksgiving is almost upon us. And with that, I bring you some little know turkey facts.
* Benjamin Franklin wanted the wild turkey to be the national bird of the United States instead of the bald eagle.
* Male wild turkeys act much the same as peacocks when it comes to finding a mate; they puff up and spread their tail feathers to attract females.
* Turkey eggs are tan with specks of brown on them. The eggs take only a month to hatch and when they do, the poults (baby turkeys) stay with their mother for up to a year.
* The skin on the head and throat of a turkey can range in color from gray to a bright red depending upon the level of excitement or stress in the situation.
* The skin that hangs from the turkey’s throat is called a caruncle.
* Turkeys can have heart attacks and can drown if it’s raining and they look up.
* A wild turkey’s field of vision is about 270 degrees.
* Turkeys can run up to 20 miles an hour with short flight bursts up to 55 miles per hour.
* Only male Turkeys gobble. Females make a clicking sound.
* The biggest turkey ever raised weighed a whopping 86 pounds!
* Adult turkeys have about 5,000 feathers.
* Turkeys have full color vision.
* Wild turkeys inhabit every state but Alaska.
* A male turkeys gobble can be heard for up to one mile away.
* Over 45 million turkeys are cooked for Thanksgiving.
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